Migrated from eDJGroupInc.com. Author: Greg Buckles. Published: 2013-01-23 13:40:22 Are you ready for next week at LegalTech New York? I can’t say that I am ready yet, but I and the eDJ team will be there, ready or not. We expect that this year will see record attendance, at least for the exhibit halls and sponsored sessions. With the eDiscovery market in full recovery from the recession, the number of exhibitors listed on the LTNY site will meet or exceed the 2010 peak numbers, even without the third floor exhibit hall. Requests for panel and briefing slots started coming in last October and we have been fully booked since December. That level of early commitment and planning says that eDiscovery providers are feeling confident and want to make sure that their message gets out. I am just happy to see corporations and firms investing in the tools, process and people again. So how do you prepare for four days in the Big Apple with up to 12,000 people who actually speak our legal geek slang?First list what you hope to take away from the show. Here are some good examples:New perspective and knowledge – keynotes, panels & takeaway materialsWhatever your experience level, you can find panelists, topics and keynotes that resonate with your eDiscovery challenges. Read the conference schedule and look for speakers whom you recognize or topics that meet your needs. Actively participate in sessions. Ask questions and challenge unsubstantiated statements, statistics or case law without citations. Remember that LTNY has spread beyond the Hilton with provider events in adjacent hotels. Email your providers and contacts now to see if you can get in on these smaller informal gatherings. Don’t forget to download session decks or ask a panelist to send you a copy of the presentation. Unless we are booked back-to-back, most panelists want to meet you and answer any questions that you might not have wanted to voice aloud. If nothing else, ask for a card so that you can get your answers after the show.Members of the eDJ Group team will be speaking on several panels at LegalTech New York this year. If you would like to see them live, check out one or all of the panels below.Greg Buckles’ Sessions:January 29, 2013eDiscovery Behind the Firewall: How are You Leveraging Your Systems and What Will the Future Bring?Time: 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.Location: The Warwick Hotel, Murals on 54Sponsored by: Lighthouse eDiscoveryJanuary 30, 2013E-Discovery and the Cloud – A Checklist for SuccessTime: 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.Location: Hilton New York, TrianonSponsored by: FTI TechnologyBarry Murphy’s Sessions:January 29, 2013Addressing the Big Data Dilemma, Automation and Managing Legal RiskTime: 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.Location: Hilton New York, Beekman/ Sutton NorthSponsored by: HP/AutonomyState of the E-Discovery Software & Service MarketTime: 3:45 – 5:45 p.m.Location: Hilton New York, Sutton SouthSponsored by: LexisNexisJanuary 31, 2013ARMA International Session ModeratorTime: 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.Topics:
Sponsored by: ARMA InternationalNew friends – social networking, happy hours, provider events & bDiscoveryDespite the fact that discovery now touches most corporations, there are still very few ways to make connections and talk informally with others in your position. This is your chance to meet literally thousands of them. Happy hours are filled with people who will talk your lingo and not blow you off when you mention deduplication, concept searching or TAR. Some of the social events are open to the public while many require an invitation. I recommend that you find a couple of ‘veterans’ and tag along. It was not that long ago that there were only a couple of hundred ‘lit support’ geeks. That means that we all knew each other and most are happy to chat.This year, the eDJ Group is hosting a happy hour with Today’s General Counsel Magazine and Institute (formerly Executive Counsel) on Tuesday, January 29 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. For more information or an invite, please contact marilyn@edjgroupinc.com. If you’re looking for a party with a philanthropic flair, don’t miss the b-Discovery 6th Annual All-Chapter Party that is being held on Tuesday as well. Benefiting the Harwood Center, an early intervention agency for children with special needs, the event begins at 9 p.m. and is being held at Arena NYC. For more information, visit http://www.partynyc.org/2013/.New toys – exhibit booths, demos & sales meetingsThe exhibit hall can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan. You will find software, hardware and service providers of all types and it can be tough to figure out who you want to actually spend time with. That being said, if you need to buy technology or find new providers in 2013, this is your chance to see them side by side without letting them into your office. It won’t surprise you if I recommend starting with the categories of the eDiscovery Matrix to find who fits your requirements. One of my research topics this year is mobile device technology. I started with the search page and used that category to select and compare offerings in the matrix view. The actual offering and company profile pages tell you what additional market categories that they cover, resellers and eDJ analyst notes (although many require subscription membership). Okay enough plugging our own toys. My main point is that you need to have a list of booths that you want to see and then use the LTNY App to plot them on the maps. I liked it better when LTNY actually published the exhibitor floor map, but given how many of the booths are still not numbered or labeled this close to the show, that may not be an option any longer.Just like any trial, preparation is the key to getting the most out of your LTNY experience and minimizing the stress and confusion. Don’t forget your hand sanitizer (it’s flu season), breath mints and vitamins! If you see one of the eDJ crew, please take the time to introduce yourself and tell us about your impression of the show and the exhibitors.Hope to see you there,Greg Buckles, eDiscoveryJournal Contributor and eDJ Group Lead Analyst